Expedition 21 will be the 21st long duration mission on-board the International Space Station (ISS) and the second to include six crew members.

Expedition 21 begins with the Soyuz TMA-14 undocking in October 2009. Two new crew members will arrive on Soyuz TMA-16 for the handover before the previous crew departs.

ESA astronaut Frank De Winne, the first European Space Agency station commander

Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Robert Thirsk

Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko

NASA astronaut Nicole Stott

Russian cosmonaut Maxim Suraev and NASA astronaut Jeffrey Williams, who will launch in September 2009 on Soyuz TMA-16 and return in March 2010 on the same vehicle

pargoo

I was just wondering, if there will be no-name versions as well, why both aren't released simultaneously...

Robert Pearlman

This insignia has not yet been officially released; the artwork has been finalized but NASA has yet to publish it. As a result, we can only publish the versions that are either posted by our readers or provided by our sources.

ShuttleDiscovery

While it's certainly a very detailed patch, I love it! I think it's very colourful and an extremely unusual desgign. It's always nice to see a different looking patch.

I'd like to see how they manage to make a good embroidered version though!

Tom

Reminds me of the STS-78 patch a little.

ShuttleDiscovery

quote:Originally posted by Tom:Reminds me of the STS-78 patch a little.

Yes, it reminded me of STS-78 too. I'm sure Ben Helin was involved in this patch like Thirsk's personal patch.

ShuttleDiscovery

quote:Originally posted by Mike Isbell:Does a new crewmember replace Robert Thirsk when he returns to Earth aboard STS-129 or does ISS Expedition XXI continue with a 5 person crew after STS-129 departs?

They will continue with a 5 person crew, then de Winne, Romanenko and Stott will depart on TMA-15, leaving just Williams and Suraev on the ISS.

RMH

A little much for my taste and makes me wonder about why there are two sets of 6 stars. Unless it is to signify one departing six crew expedition and the new one. I think it would have looked better to have Thirsk and Williams names switched and also switch Stott and Romanenko names. That way the names of the astronauts correspond to the flags of their country.

ShuttleDiscovery

quote:Originally posted by RMH:I think it would have looked better to have Thirsk and Williams names switched and also switch Stott and Romanenko names.

I agree.

robsouth

Oh dear! Compare this with the beautifully simple Apollo 8 patch. All that's missing in this patch is the kitchen sink!

Robert Pearlman

I like the ISS 21 insignia for the same reason I like the Apollo 8 emblem: both share the story of their mission's purpose.

The goals of the International Space Station are more multifaceted than Apollo 8 and therefore merit a more complex design. I like that the ISS 21 emblem incorporates spacecraft and people, the Earth, Moon and Mars, and the flags of the countries it will represent.

Moonbase_Alphan

quote:Originally posted by pargoo:I was just wondering, if there will be no-name versions as well, why both aren't released simultaneously...

Here's the no-name version in low res. I can get a high res posted later.

GoesTo11

Well... one of the reasons I enjoy the cS boards is that these are polite, adult forums, and I generally follow the "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" rule. But after careful consideration, I have to say that in my opinion, this will be the ugliest mission insignia ever worn in flight by an American space crew. (I'm not so familiar with those of other nations, so I can't speak to them.)

There were certainly more than a few duds among the patches of 100+ Shuttle and 20 ISS missions, but most of those were merely dull or uninspired, not an active assault on my aesthetic sense like this one. It looks especially absurd following the elegant yet powerful Expedition 20 emblem.

So I guess what I'm saying is I don't like it much. I'm glad these things only cost me five bucks.

The central element of the patch is inspired by a fractal of six, symbolizing the teamwork of the six-person crew. From the basic element of one person, together six people form a much more complex and multifaceted entity, toward the infinity of the universe. The patch shows children, on Earth in the bright Sun, as our future and the reason we explore. The Soyuz and Shuttle are the vehicles that enable human space exploration today, while the International Space Station is leading to our next goals, the moon and Mars. The patch shape has six tips, geometrically sound yet reminiscent of a leaf, representing symmetry and ecological harmony, while the six stars in deep space represent the current crew and future exploration crews.

dogcrew5369

Are there any hints that the Expedition 21 patch available to the public will include crew names? Without names the white border around the patch looks ridiculous. The design works much better with names to fill it in. Although Expedition 17 has a semi-border, it still works without names where Expedition 21 just looks empty. Just my opinion.

hoorenz

Although not the official AB Emblem versions, we have spotted at least two embroidered versions with names so far. No idea what the original sources are though.

Robert Pearlman

I interviewed members of the crew yesterday about their patch, and Nicole Stott reaffirmed what other astronauts have said before. The version of their patch with the crew names will be officially released after the expedition is over.

lucspace

Robert, I think that should have been the case, starting with Exp 17, but to my knowledge, it never materialized...

Voyager1975

Robert, was that an embroidered patch that the Expedition 21 crew wore on their purple polo shirts during yesterday's media conference? If so is that an AB Emblem patch? Also I thought the patch looked PERFECT just the way it was without the astronauts names and just the thick white border. Thanks!!

Robert Pearlman

The emblem on their shirts was embroidered, but was not a patch. It was sewn directly into their shirts' fabric.